The Wire: Season 5, Episode 8 – Clarifications

I understand that time is running out

Grade: A-

Again, I’ve been slacking on this; many apologies. But for the home stretch of the final three episodes, I’m going to be on top of things.

Things look alternately grim and hopeful, in a perverse way, in Baltimore. A major turning point for the entire series occurs in this episode. Although I’m not going to spoil it, (even though it happens a scant 20 minutes into the episode) I will say it’s executed about as well as you could expect it to be, and it demonstrates we quick things can change in the streets.

McNulty’s crackpot scheme is actually bearing fruit. He continues to successfully smokescreen the police brass and the Mayor of Baltimore with his non-existent serial kille,r while securing the funding to keep the police doing actual police work. Thanks to his scam, the Baltimore PD is back to the funding level that they were at before the massive cuts. They’re finally able to put surveillance on an increasingly sloppy Marlo, still convinced that no one is watching him. Much like Colvin in Season 3, by breaking the law, McNulty has managed to help people. Of course, it cuts both ways.. His efforts of sharing the wealth that his make-believe serial killer are undermined by the fact that a few too amny people know what’s going on, to one extent or another. Furthermore, his family life continues to deteriorate, and his conversation with Beadie towards the episode cuts to the core of his character.

Meanwhile, Omar continues to carry out his vendetta against Marlo, taking out corners and trashing Marlo’s stash and good name. Things progress on this end about the way that they have to.

There are lots of other good moments throughout the episode. The reappearance of Poot was sort of heart-warming, and shows that not all of the characters non-essential to this season have met tragic ends (e.g. Savino, dead in an alley, or Randy, a sweet kid turned hard-ass trapped in a group home). Dukie continues his efforts to extract himself from the dope game. The quick resurrection of Clay Davis is a sight to behold. Even though it’s clear that Lester isn’t about to let him off the hook. The episode also shows the further moral slippages of Mayor Carcetti, who becomes increasingly willing to compromise his principles in pursuit of a seat in the statehouse. And the McNulty and Kima’s visit to FBI headquarters is about as funny as anything on the show this season.

The only drawback I can think of that after months of me complaining that they weren’t being given enough time, it looks like their wrapping things up too early. From the looks of things, a lot of the show’s plot-threads could be tied up by the next episode. And clean-up episode for the show’s finale doesn’t sound that interesting. But that’s more perception on my part, rather than what will undoubtedly be the reality.